Make My Suffering Stop
by I Am Raskolnikov
Summary: Kaoru was in pain. As his closest friend and brother, Hikaru knew he needed to stop the agony.


Well, here we go. I tried my hand at a short story, and this is the final result. I sincerely hope you enjoy it.

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own Ouran High School Host Club.

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The sun rose steadily over the horizon, and wispy clouds rolled across the cerulean sky. Sparrows and larks danced above, singing the sweetest of melodies. In the garden, the roses were in bloom, and their delicate aroma seemed to pervade the sumptuous air. Paradise seemed to encapsulate itself in a single April day.

Paradise was shattered, however, when Kaoru Hitachiin's cries of pain began to rend the air. When he emerged from his bedroom and seated himself for breakfast beside his brother Hikaru, a sharp sensation of agony ran through him. Hikaru immediately noticed the anguish in his younger brother's eyes and pulled him aside, into the living room, and inclined himself towards Kaoru.

"What's wrong?"

"It hurts…"

"Show me where."

Kaoru leaned over, indicating his buttocks.

"Let me see."

The younger of the twins obliged, allowing his pants to drop and bending himself over Hikaru's knee. Immediately, the source of the boy's pain became clear. On the left buttock, about five centimeters from the center, was a hideous boil, a centimeter or two in diameter. A bright shade of rose, the frightening abscess marred the skin of its host; a yellow pustule sat atop its summit like a crown. Hikaru's blood suddenly ran cold. Reaching for his cell phone, he hastily dialed his friend Kyoya, in desperate hope that Kyoya's ties to the Ootori hospital chain would endow him with vast medical information. Hikaru was in luck; Kyoya picked up the phone almost immediately.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Kaoru has this huge red bump on his ass. It's been hurting him really badly."

"It's nothing to worry about. Just clean it, get it lanced, bandage it, and he'll be better in two weeks. Look, I have something to do, I'll see you later." The phone clicked, and there was silence.

Kaoru looked up at Hikaru, on the verge of tears. "Well?"

Hikaru took a deep breath and sighed. "I'll try to get it taken care of quick. Kurtz!"

A Haitian butler ambled into the room. Old and decrepit, he wore an ivory suit, and his gray hair, tied in a ponytail, extended to the small of his back. As Kurtz's unsymmetrical eyes shifted from one master to the next, he stooped in mock reverence and grinned, revealing rows of cracked yellow teeth.

"Wha's shakin', young massas?" the butler croaked.

"Kurtz," Hikaru began, "Get us a needle from Grandma's stash, some rubbing alcohol, a cleaning cloth, and a bandage."

"Ah don' unnerstan, massa Hikaru. Wen ah lived in ol' Port au-Prince, before _le tremblement de terre,_ _ma mére _woul jus' gimme sum potion made a' rat bones n cornmeal wen ah got _la grippe_."

"Kurtz. We don't want to hear it, just get me what I asked for!"

The butler immediately shambled away.

Kaoru watched Kurtz as he limped for the door. "Hikaru, I don't understand why you need all this."

"Trust me." Hikaru looked at his brother, smiled, and turned his gaze to the window.

Minutes passed, and Kaoru began to sweat profusely from lying in a single position for so long. The sun was climbing higher in the sky, and the dining room became increasingly warm. Hikaru was on the verge of firing Kurtz when the Haitian walked into the room with a tray. Ever loyal to the family for providing him with adequate living conditions and three square meals a day, the butler not only brought the needle, alcohol, and cleaning cloth, but a plate of the twins' favorite chocolates. Leaving the tray on the table, Kurtz walked to the window and observed, suspicious about his masters' plans.

Hikaru worked quickly. Dipping the cleaning cloth in alcohol, the boy ran the sheet over the abscess. Then, the needle followed. Guided by Hikaru's hand, it found its way into the center of the pustule, breaking it open and eliciting from Kaoru a heartrending scream. Blood flowed out, like the rivers of Egypt. It ran down Kaoru's skin, and continued to trickle in a tiny stream, before Hikaru stopped its course, catching it with the cloth. Then, as if by instinct, the boy squeezed his brother's boil. A thick, cream-colored ribbon of pus began to pour from the open wound.

The pus came slowly at first. A second or so passed, and, as if by magic, the ribbon continued to grow and grow. It was hard to believe that such a small boil about the size of a pea could emit so much! Even so, the abscess continued to discharge pus, and no end seemed to be in sight. The pus mixed with the blood, and the mixture started to form complex patterns of white, red and pink. When at last the pus ceased to flow, Hikaru wiped the skin surrounding the abscess clean. Then, he scraped away at the open wound; he could barely stand his brother's yelps of protest as layers of dead skin and fluid were being rubbed onto the stained cloth, but Hikaru knew that perseverance was the only option. A bandage was placed on the boil, and Kaoru pulled up his pants, leaning on his brother as he stood. The two brothers embraced at the end of the ordeal, and threw the needle and cloth into the trash bin.

The following Monday, when Hikaru and Kaoru walked into the Third Music Room, they found several girls poring over various articles in a glass case. Upon closer inspection, the twins discovered that in the center, the stained cleaning cloth and the needle lay, still covered in blood and pus. Kyoya, standing before the horde of rabid girls, was attempting to calm the masses.

"Now now, ladies, settle down. We're taking bids until the end of the week, and these articles will remain safe with us until then." Seeing Hikaru and Kaoru, Kyoya gave an impish smirk. "By the way, Kaoru: when you're finished with that bandage, bring it here. It's currently the crown jewel of the set."


End file.
